Midtown Baltimore - Baltimore, MD Area Guide

Named for famed Revolutionary patriot John Eager Howard's 18th century Belvedere estate, the Midtown Belvedere neighborhood completely encompasses the University of Baltimore. Often erroneously included as part of the neighboring Mt. Vernon neighborhood, this north-central Baltimore community is its own independent entity known for a high population of UB faculty and students.

The Belvedere Hotel, the last remnant of the original Belvedere estate, remains as one of the neighborhood's most frequented socializing sites. Over the years, the grandiose houses that once contained prominent politicians and military personnel are now home to a wide variety of UB students that commune within the converted apartments and condominiums.

Home of the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the Lyric Opera House and the Baltimore Theatre Project, the Midtown-Belvedere is a renowned arts and culture travel destination.

Midtown houses a vast assortment of independently owned restaurants that cater to the locals' need for global fare at student-friendly prices. North Charles Street, the central restaurant hub of the neighborhood, hosts three must-try eateries for experiencing the area like a true Baltimorian.

Enjoy fine dining at The Brewer's Art, which offers an upscale upstairs dining room and a more relaxed downstairs basement bar. Expect a more pricey yet elegant menu upstairs that includes the restaurant's signature steak frites, a tantalizing grilled vintage hangar steak served with amazing rosemary garlic fries. When hanging out downstairs, try the confit chicken wings, the house's impressive take on Buffalo wings that features aleppo pepper, grapefruit, sesame and marjoram spices that somehow goes with everything on their beverage menu.

Soothe your sushi craving at Minato Sushi Bar. Featuring bold, contemporary décor and an extensive sashimi and sushi menu, this Midtown-Belvedere hotspot is equally celebrated for its always-fresh seafood and lively happy hour ambience. Order the must-try Laura roll, a fried, spot-on concoction of lobster, eel, white tuna, salmon, tuna and avocado that leaves you begging for more.

After hours, the Midtown-Belvedere neighborhood's nightlife abounds on almost every street. For the best neighborhood bar experience ever, venture off of North Charles Street and head over to East Chase Street, the home of the Owl Bar. Nestled with the historic Belvedere hotel, this bar and grille's convenient location and speakeasy feel make it a happening happy hour and weekend hangout. Have a few drinks with your friends before heading up to the 13th Floor to end the night with local live music entertainment.

A walker's paradise, the Midtown-Belvedere neighborhood streets provide ample room to explore the area on foot. Although no separate bike lanes exist, most of the streets are cyclist-safe. Daytime cabs are more prevalent in this neighborhood than nighttime cabs, however, you can use the Uber app on your smartphone to schedule a late-night ride. Roughly 11 bus lines run throughout the neighborhood and the Baltimore Penn Station is located in the north corner of the neighborhood.

Lying just below U.S. Route 1, the Midtown-Belvedere neighborhood gives you easy access to get in and out of town without a lot of hassle.

Allow the Midtown-Belvedere's lack of park facilities to give you an excuse to enjoy the beauty of the Washington monument in neighboring Mt. Vernon Place. This historically significant park opens every day from sunset to sunrise to provide you with a kid-friendly way to spend your day. Your on-leash dog is always welcome at the park that hosts the annual Lighting of the Washington Monument in December and Flowermart in the springtime.

This neighborhood's thriving UB rental community experiences higher-than-average cost of living expenses with the average one-bedroom rental running approximately $1,170 a month. However, other common daily expenses can make up for high rental costs. Taking the subway to the city center only sets you back around $1.60, grabbing a beer at a local pub costs you around $5 and filling up your tank with gas costs you about 2 percent less than the national average.

Midtown-Belvedere hosts a small number of independently owned boutiques and thrift stores. When you just have to have the right vintage find for a party, head over to The Zone on North Charles Street. This vintage clothing and accessory store offers a vast assortment of finds from the 60s to the 90s fashions and also sells new sterling silver jewelry pieces.

In the mood to splurge on a home furniture conversation piece? McLain Wiesand Design on Cathedral Street supplies high-end custom-built furnishings, art pieces and murals that can transform any ordinary room of your home into a showpiece.

Need some new weekend duds? Head over to the Gallery at Harbor Place in Mt. Vernon to browse the latest designer fashions from brands such as Gap, Forever 21 and Michael Kors.

Midtown-Belvedere residents find bulk item shopping items at Ok Natural, a health-conscious grocery store with a co-op-like feel. Eddie's on West Eager Street provides neighborhood residents with a full-service grocery store and on-site deli.

Venture downtown to the Baltimore Farmers' Market & Bazaar whenever you have enough time on a weekend day to savor the fresh produce, international foods and specialty grocery items from a wide variety of local vendors.